Operating mechanism for enclosed circuit breakers or switches



Nov. 30, 1954 E. E. WILLS 2,695,934

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ENCLOSED CIRCUIT BREAKERS OR SWITCHES FiledApril 24, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. fry/ v 5. 14044 .5

Nov. 30, 1954 E E w|| s 2,695,934

OPERATING MECH'ANIsM FOR ENCLOSED CIRCUIT BREAKERS 0R SWITCHES FiledApril 24, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 5 591/076. Zy/ E Z g BY I;

Nov. 30, 1954 E. E. w|| |..s 2,695,934

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ENCLOSED CIRCUIT BREAKERS 0R SWITCHES FiledApril 24, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR. EfV/N 5. W/LL 6 BY a 425% 6%J United States Patent OPERATING MECHANISM FORENCLOSED CIR- CUITBREAKERS OR SWITCHES Erwin E. "Wills, Aflton,

-Products Company, Delaware 'Mo., assignor to Federal Electric Newark,N. J., a corporation of This invention relates to operating mechanismsfor enclosed circuit breakers.

One object of the present invention .is the provision of an improvedmechanism for operating .a circuit breaker which is enclosed in a casingwhile the casing cover is closed and for lockingvthe casing cover closedin either the .open or closed condition of. the circuit breaker.

Another object of the present invention is the .provision of a circuitbreaker enclosing casing having an openable cover carrying anexternallyoperable handle mechanism for actuating the circuit breaker handle andwhich isprovided with a device which is operable, upon closing of thecasing cover, to automatically positionthe operating handle tocorrespond .to the position of the circuit breaker handle at the time ofclosing ofthe cover, without injury to handle mechanism or the circuitbreaker and without moving the circuit breaker handle.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a circuitbreaker enclosing casing having an openable cover carrying-an externallyoperable handle mechanism for actuating the circuit breaker handle, inwhich the "operating handle must be moved to aspecial open cover"position to release the coverinterlocking means and'in which the coverinterlocking means may be locked in either'the on or ofl position of theoperating handle.

"Another .object of the presentinvention is the provision of acircuit'breaker enclosing casing having an openable cover carrying anexternally mounted operating handle mechanism for actuating the circuitbreaker handle, in which'there is provided means operable by .saidhandle mechanism, when said cover is closed, for moving'thehandle'ofthecircuit breaker unitlto correspond to the position of the externaloperating handle, and in which said-means ,are provided with releasablelocking means to lock the-circuit breaker in open condition when it isin said condition when the casing *cover is opened and thecircuitbreaker handle is in the off position.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a circuitbreaker'enclosing casing having an openable cover carrying an externallymounted operating handle for controlling the circuit breaker handle, inwhich improved means are provided ,forexternally locking the operatinghandle in either the 'on or oft position.

Another object of the present invention is theprovision of a circuitbreaker enclosing casing having an openable cover carrying an externallymounted operating handle for actuating the circuit breaker handle, inwhich independent external means are provided on the coverto permit theopening of the cover in allpositions of: the operating handle when theoperating handle is not externally lockedv -A further object of thepresent invention is the .provision of a circuit breakerenclosingcasinghavingan opcnable cover carrying an externally mountedoperating handle for controlling the circuit breaker handle, in whichthere is provided means 'for locking the handle of the circuit breakerunit in position on the opening of the cover: With'the circuitbreakeractuatinghandle in the off position, and in.which on the-closing of thecover the locking means are automatically released.

.-A.yet further object is genera'lly to provide an improved front'operateden'closed circuit breaker.

'tTheiaboveand-other objects, features and advantagesofxthe'present'invention will be more'fully understood fromthe:following description consideredin connection with the:accompanyingdrawings.

off positions,

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the circuit breaker enclosing casing andoperating mechanism constructed in accordance with the presentinvention, the cover being shown in both opened and closed positions andthe operatingihandle being shown in both on and off positions;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the operating handle, interlockingelement, and operating plate assembly in disassembled relationship;

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the reciprocable member and thereleasable locking means for the reciprocable member;

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFig. 1 withthe locking member shown in both handlereleasing position andhandle-locking position;

Fig. 5 is a partial top plan view of the circuit breaker operatingmechanism with the cover in closed position;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevational view of the circuit breaker operatingmechanism with the mechanism shown in on and tripped positions;

Fig. 7. is a view similar shown in the OE Fig. 8 is-a to Fig. 6 with themechanism and reset positions; partial detailed view showing thereciprocable ,rnember locking dog in its retracted position;

)Fig. 9 .isafragmentary front view of the casing cover with theoperating handle removed but showing the locking projection and limitingstop element; and

Fig.,10 is a partial sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. .5.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the circuit breaker casing 10comprisesa receptacle or box 12 and a cover 14 which is hinged to saidbox 12 at one side thereof so that said cover 14 may be swung to itsopen and .closed positions as illustrated in Fig. l. The cover isprovided with a rim 16 which seats against the box 12 of the casing 10to exclude foreign matter, as is well known in the art. With referenceto Fig. 4, a circuit breaker unit 18 is mounted in the casing in anysuitable way, being here shown, for illustration purposes only, securedto back wall 20 of the box 12 by screws 22. The circuit breaker unit 18is provided with'an oscillatable actuating handle 24 for operating thecircuit breaker mechanism. It will be readily apparent to those skilledinthe art that any type of circuit breaker unit having an oscillatable.actuating handle may be used. Secured to the circuit breaker unit 18 bymeans of the screws 22 is a channel shaped reciprocable handle actuatingmember 26 having an aperture 28 suitably dimensioned for the receptionof the circuit breaker actuating handle 24 as shown in Fig. 4, thusproviding an operative connection between member 26 and handle 28. Theaperture 28 istformed, as here shown, by the pair of struck-out portions30, in the bottom 32 of the member 26, which engage the handleat theopposite sides thereof for moving the handle in opposite directions. Thebottom 32 of member 26 is provided with a pair of aligned elongatedslots 34 which are adapted to cooperate with the guide screw studs 36for reciprocable movement of member 26 relative to the circuit breakerunit 18. The member 26 is mounted on a pair of suitable brackets 38 and40 which are fixed to the circuit breaker unit 18 by means of screws 22,it being understood that member 26 is adapted to reciprocate relative tothe circuit breaker unit .18, the member 26 accordingly oscillating orreciprocating the actuating handle 24 of the circuit breaker unit bymeans of the cooperating relationship between said actuating handle 24and the struck-out portions 30 of the member 26. As is well known in theart, actuating handle 24 is adapted to oscillate between its on and andaccordingly the slots 34 are longitudinally dimensioned so that themember 26 maybe reciprocated for the full range of reciprocation of theactuating handle 24. The member 26 is provided with a laterallyprojecting fixed stud or part 42 disposed intermediate the extremitiesof said member, for engagement by a part of the external actuatingmechanism as will be described fully hereinafter.

"The member 26 is also provided with a slot 44 (Figures 3, 4, and'8)which is adapted to be engaged by a releasable locking dog 46 which ispivotally mounted on the bracket 40, by means of the pin 48, and isbiased into a locking or slot engaging position by means of the spring50. The locking dog 46 is provided with a projection 52 which is adaptedto engage member 26 in slot 44 to lock said member against reciprocationwhen the circuit breaker is open and the casing cover is open. Integralwith locking dog 46 is a lever 54 which is positioned to be engaged bycover 14 to retate the locking dog 46 out of engagement with the slot 44of member 26 when the casing cover is closed as will be described indetail hereinafter. Integral with the bracket 40 is a horizontallyprojecting latch member 60 for interlocking the cover 14 to the box 12as will be described in detail hereinafter.

Operating handle 62 is mounted on the cover 14 in position externallythereof and is rotatable to and from on, tripped, off and resetpositions, respectively, and constitutes part of the mechanismhereinafter more particularly described for manually actuating thecircuit breaker handle 24 and for locking the casing cover closed. Withreference to Figures 2 and 4, the operating handle 62 is provided with alocking member 64 which is mounted for rectilinear movement in the slot66 of the hub 106 of handle 62. The handle 62 and locking member 64 aresubstantially the same as the handle and lock device fully described andillustrated in application No. 75,652 filed February 10, 1949, by EgmontArens and assigned to the assignee of this invention, and therefore saidhandle and locking member assembly 62, 64 are only generally describedherein. The locking member 64 is rectilinearly movable between ahandle-releasing position and a handle-locking position, the retractedposition of the member 64 being the handle-releasing position and theextended positionof member 64 being the handle-locking position. Themember 64 is normally biased into the retracted or handle-releasingposition by means of the spring 68. The member 64 is provided with anintegral locking projection 70 adapted to be reciprocated outwardly ofthe handle 62 for locking said handle in a preselected position.

With reference to Fig. 9, the cover 14 is provided with an aperture 72which is adapted to mount and rotatably support the handle 62.Continuous with aperture 72 is an arcuate cut-out portion 74 havingshoulders 76 which are adapted to cooperate with handle limiting meanswhich will be described in detail below. Connected with and extendingfrom the arcuate cut-out portion 74 is a pair of spaced slots 78 and 80which are adapted to receive the locking projection 70 of the member 64when the latter is extended to handle-locking position. Thus, whenlocking member 64 is extended into the handle-locking position thelocking projection 70 will be accordingly extended into the slot 78 whenthe handle 62 is in the on position and said projection will be extendedinto the slot 80 when the handle 62 is in the 011 position.

In order to provide for moving the handle 24 of the circuit breaker unit18 to a position corresponding to the position of the operating handle62, there is provided an operating plate 82 which is mechanicallyconnected to said handle 62 and rotates therewith. The operating plate82 is provided with a cut-out portion 84 which is engageable with thelaterally projecting part 42 of the member 26 (Figures 2, 4, and so thaton the closing of the cover 14 the part 42 engages the cutout portion 84when the part 42 and said cut-out portion 84 are in alignment.

It will be apparent that when the part 42 of member 26 and the cut-outportion 84 of operating plate 82 are not in alignment on the closing ofthe cover 14, there will be danger that the handle mechanism or thecircuit breaker unit mechanism will be damaged, and to obviate thisundesirable result there is provided integral with the operating plate82 camming means comprising a pair of substantially symmetricallaterally projecting cam elements 86 and 88 which extend from thecut-out portion 84. Thus it will be seen that on the closing of thecover 14, if the position of handle 62 does not correspond to theposition of handle 24, in which case the cut-out portion 84 and the part42 are not in alignment, straight cam edge 90 of one of the cam elements86 and 88 will be engaged by the part 42 to move theoperating plate 82to a position where the part 42 engages the cut-out-portion 84 ofoperating plate 82 to automatically position the operating handle 62 toa position corresponding to the position of. the actuating.

handle 24. Thus, on the closing of the cover 14, if the part 42 and thecut-out portion 84 are in alignment, the part 42 will directly engagesaid cut-out portion 84, whereas if the part 42 and the cut-out portion84 are not in alignment the part 42 will engage one of the cam elements86 and 88 to move the operating plate 82 to a position where the part 42and the cut-out portion 84 will be in alignment.

Interposed between the operating plate 82 and the op;

erating handle 62 is a spacer 92, limiting stop element 94, spacer 96and bearing plate 98 (Figures 2 and 4). There is provided a slot 100 inthe limiting stop element 94, a slot 102 in the spacer 96, and a slot104 in the bearing plate 98, said slots being in alignment on assemblyfor the reception of the locking projection 70 of the locking member 64.With reference to Fig. 2, the handle 62 and operating plate 82 areassembled by positioning the bearing plate 98 immediately adjacent to,the hub 106 of the handle 62 and superposing on said bearing plate 98element 94. The limiting stop element 94 which is superposed on plate 98is positioned in the aperture 72 of the cover 14 in substantialalignment with said cover. The operating plate 82 and the spacer 92 arepositioned at the inner side of the cover 14, it being understood thatthe slots 100, 102 and 104 are all aligned on assembly.

ment 94, the spacer 96 and the bearing plate 98 are all suitablyapertured for the reception of the screws 112.

There is provided in the hub 106 of the handle 62 spaced threadedapertures 114 which are adapted for the re--.

ception of the complementary end portions of screws 112. Thus onassembly the operating plate 82, the

spacer 92, the limiting stop element 94, the spacer 96,.

erate with the shoulders 76 of the arcuate cut-out por-. tion 74 in thecover 14 for limiting the pivotal move-' ment of the handle 62 andoperating plate 82. When.

cover 14 is closed, operating handle 62 is operable to move theactuating handle 24 of the circuit breaker unit 18 to manually open andclose the breaker and handle 24 will, of course, move to a positioncorresponding to the position of said operating handle. As shown in Fig.1 the operating handle 62 is adapted to be moved: through the distancebetween the reset and on po-- sitions, and the limiting stop element 94and cover 14 are adapted to cooperate to limit the pivotal movement ofhandle 62 to the distance represented by the range between the reset andon positions.

When the operating handle 62 is turned to the desired position, plate 82will be correspondingly turned and, when the cover 14 is in closedcondition and the circuit breaker unit 18 and operating handle 62 are incorresponding positions, plate 82, at its cut-out portion 84, willdirectly engage the laterally projecting part 42' of the reciprocablemember 26 to reciprocate said member 26, the raised or struck-outportions 30 of said member 26 engaging the actuating handle 24 of thecircuit breaker unit 18 to reciprocate said actuating handle 24.

to a position corresponding to the position to which handle 62 isturned.

cuit breaker unit 18, the laterally projecting part 42 of thereciprocable member 26 will engage one of the cam edges 90 of thecam-elements 86 and 88, the cam edge 4 90 that is engaged by the part 42depending on the relative positioning of the operating handle 62 and theactuating handle 24, as will be readily understood. The relativeengagement of the part 42 of the member 26 and one of the cam edges 90of the cam elements 86 and 88 will be effective to turn the operatingplate' 82 in an appropriate direction and concomitantly turn the handle62 to a position where the laterally projecting In the base 108 of theoperating plate 82 there is provided a pair of spaced apertures 110which are adapted for the reception of the fasten-- ing screws 112. Thespacer 92, the limiting stop ele-f If, on the closing of the cover, 14,the operating handle 62 is not in a position correspondlng to theposition of the handle 24 of the cirpart 42 and the cut-out portion 84are in respective engagement, said movement being effective toautomatically position the operating handle 62 to the positioncorresponding to the position of the handle 24 of the oncuit breaker. Itwill be understood that the spring in the circuit breaker unit 18 isinherently stiit and strong to prevent movement of handle 24 by member82, except when the latter is operated by manual actuation ofhandle 62and said spring readily absorbs the shock of the contact between thepart 42 of the member 26 and one of the cam edges 90 of the plate 82,without any-damage to said circuit breaker unit.

With reference to Fig. 8 is to be observed that on the closing of thecover 14 the latter engages the lever 54 of the locking dog 46 to rotatesaid locking dog 46 out of engagement with the slot 44 of the member 26to release said member 26 for reciprocation. This lock preventsinadvertent closing of the circuit breaker when the casing cover isopen, for in order to close the breaker when the casing cover is open,it would be necessary to manually release lock 46 and this wouldnormally require the attention of the operator as contrasted with aninadvertent manipulation.

To lock the cover 14 in closed position there is provided interlockingmeans enclosed by said casing and cover, said means comprising aninterlocking element 118 (Figure 2) which is pivotally mounted to thecover 14 at 120. The interlocking element 118 is provided with alaterally projecting locking portion 122 which is adapted to cooperatewith the latch member 60, which is integral with the bracket 40 asdescribed above. The interlocking element 118 is biased into a lockingor counterclockwise position as viewed in Figures 6 and 7 by means ofthe spring 124, said spring being secured at one end 125 to theinterlocking element 118 and fixed at the other end to the underside ofthe cover 14 by means of the lug 126 which is suitably fixed to saidcover 14. In the normal closing of the cover 14 the inclined or cam edge128 of the portion 122 strikes member 60, the interlocking element 118being turned against its spring bias until part 130 is below latch 6i?(Fig. '5) whereupon spring 124 moves locking member to its operativeposition under member 60 for locking the casing cover releasably inclosed position. To release the above described interlocking means thereis provided a shoulder 132 on the operating plate 82 which cooperateswith a struck down portion 134 in the interlocking element 118. Thuswhen the operating handle 62 is rotated to a special open cover position(Figure 7) which in the illustrated embodiment coincides with the resetposition, the shoulder 132 of the operating plate 82 will engage thestruck down portion 134 of the interlocking element 118 to rotate saidelement 118 out of interlocking relation with the member 60 therebyallowing the cover 14 to be freely opened. As shown in Fig. 7, it willbe readily apparent that on the rotation of the interlocking element 118the arm 130 of said interlocking element 118 will be disengaged from themember 60 to thereby release the interlocking means.

The interlocking element 118 is provided with an arcuate end portion 136having a pair of laterally spaced slots 138 and 140, said spaced slotsbeing adapted to register with the spaced slots 78 and 8t),respectively, in the cover 14, except when the operating handle 62 is inthe open cover or reset position. Thus when the handle 62 is in the onposition the slot 138 of the interlocking element will be in registrywith the slot 78 of the cover 14 and when the handle 62 is in the offposition the slot 140 of the element 118 will be in registry with theslot 80 of said cover 14. When the handle 62 is in the on position andthe locking member 64 is extended into the handle-locking position, thelocking projection 70 will mate with the registered slots 78 and 138,thereby locking said handle 62 in the on position. When the handle 62 isrotated to the 011" position and the locking member 64 is extended tothe handle-locking position, the locking projection 70 will matewith theregistered slots 80 and 140, thereby locking said handle 62 in the ofiposition. It will be readily apparent from the above that the operatinghandle '62 may be externally locked in either the on or ofi? positionbut may not be so locked. in any intermediate position. When theoperating handle 62 is rotated to the open cover position theinterlocking element 118 will be accordingly pivoted to unlock the cover14 as aforedescribed, but when said operating handle 62 is externallylocked the interlocking element 118 is accordingly locked againstpivotal movement.

To provide for the release of the above described interlocking means topermit the opening of the cover 14 in all positions of the operatinghandle 62, when said handle is not externally locked, the interlockingelement 118 is fixed to a rotatable stud or screw 142 which has aslotted head 144 projecting to the outside of the cover 14 so that onthe rotation of said slotted portion 144 by a conventional screwdriverthe interlocking element 118 will be accordingly rotated out ofinterlock with the member 60 (Figure 10). Thus whenever desired theslotted portion 144 may be rotated from the outside of the cover 14 torelease the arm of the interlocking element 118 from engagement with themember 60 of bracket 40, such external release of the interlocking meanshaving no effect on the positioning of the actuating handle 24 of thecircuit breaker unit 18. It will be readily apparent from the above thatwhen the bandle 62 is externally locked, one of the slots 138 and 148will be interengaged with the locking member 164 to lock element 118against pivotal movement whereby stud 142 is locked against rotation toprevent the opening of cover 14 in this manner. The locking member 64has an elongated opening 65 which as shown in Fig. 4 is disposedinternally to the handle hub 106 when said locking member is in itsretracted or handle-releasing position and which is disposed externallyof the handle 62 when said locking member is extended into thehandle-locking position. Said elongated opening 65 in the handle-lockingposition of member 64 is adapted to receive one or more conventionalpadlocks or the like so that the handle 62 may be locked externally asis well known to those skilled in the art.

As is well known in the art, the holding of the actuating handle 24 ofthe circuit breaker unit 18 in the on position will not prevent thetripping or overload automatic operation of the circuit breaker. It willalso be apparent that when for any reason the actuating handle 24 of thecircuit breaker unit 18 is tripped, the operating handle 62 if notlocked by member 64 will assume a corresponding position (Figure 6).Handle 62 when manually moved to the on and off positions will remain sopositioned, but said handle can be held in reset position and moved toreset position only against the tension of the circuit breaker spring,as is well known to those skilled in the art, and against the bias ofspring 124.

Thus it will be seen that the above described mechanism provides forautomatically positioning the operating handle 62 to a positioncorresponding to the position of the circuit breaker actuating handle 24on the closing of the cover 14 without any injury to the circuit breakerunit. The above mechanism also requires the operating handle 62 to bemoved to a special open cover position to release the cover interlockingmeans and said cover interlocking means may be locked in either the onor off position of said handle 62. The above mechanism also provides foran improved mechanlsm for operating and locking the circuit breaker unit18, and, when the cover 14 is closed, the actuating handle 24 of thecircuit breaker unit will correspond to the position of the operatinghandle 62. Operating handle 62 may be locked in either the on or offposition as described above which is very advantageous in that thecircuit breaker for the controlled circuit may be externally locked withthe circuit either closed or open. There is also provided the slottedportion 144 of the shaft 142 mounted externally of the cover 14 topermit the opening of said cover 14 in all positions of the operatinghandle 62 when said handle is not externally locked, so that asupervisor or operator familar with the mechanism may open the cover 14without disturbing the circuit breaker unit setting in any way.

Although the invention has been described for a circurt breaker which isautomatically opened or trippe'l. upon overload, the invention may beused at least a; to certain features thereof in connection with othertypes of circuit interrupters, for example, mechanical switches.

While there is shown and described herein certain spe- ClfiC structureembodying the invention it will be manifest to those skilled in the artthat various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventiveconcept and that the same is not limited to the particular form hereinshown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. An enclosing casing for a circuit breaker or switch having anoperating member, said casing having a cover movable to closed and openpositions, an actuating handle carried by said cover in position at theouter side thereof and mounted for turning movement on said cover to aplurality of difierent positions in the open and closed positions ofsaid cover, and mechanism mounted at the inner side of said cover andmovable therewith when said cover is moved to said positions and fixedto said handle for turning movement therewith, said mechanism comprisinga member provided with cam means which in the movement of the casingcover to closed position engages the operating member of the circuitbreaker in either the open or closed condition of the latter and movessaid actuating handle to a position corresponding to the position ofsaid operating member of the circuit breaker, if said actuating handleis then in a non-corresponding position, said cam means having a partwhich automatically engages said operating member in operative relationthereto for actuating the latter when the cover is closed, a lockcarried by said cover and movable thereon into releasable engagementwith a relatively stationary part in said casing when the cover isclosed, for releasably locking the cover in closed position, saidmechanism member having a part which is engageable with said lock torelease the latter when the handle is moved to one of said positionsthereof, and a releasable lock for the handle operable to secure thesame against turning movement, and interengaging means on said handlelock and on said cover lock to prevent release of the latter when thehandle is locked against turning movement.

2. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having an actuating handlemovable to on, off and reset positions, a casing in which said unit ismounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having anoperating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable toon, ofl? and open cover position beyond the OE position for moving saidhandle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position whensaid cover is in a closed condition, said operating handle having alocking member mounted on said handle for movement from handle-releasingposition to handle-locking position, an operating plate connected tosaid operating handle and eifective to move said handle of said breakerunit to a position corresponding to the position of said operatinghandle, and interlocking means enclosed by said casing and cover forlocking said cover comprising an interlocking element pivotally mountedfor movement independently of said operating plate and rotated by saidoperating plate for releasing said interlocking means to permit theopening of said cover when said operating handle is moved to the opencover position, said interlocking means being effective to lock saidcover in all other positions of said operating handle, said interlockingelement having a slotted end portion which is adapted to be engaged bysaid handle locking member when the latter is moved to handle-lockingposition whereby in the handle-locking position of said locking membersaid interlocking element is locked against pivotal movement therebypreventing the release of said interlocking means.

3. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having an actuating handlemovable to on, off and reset positions, a casing in which said unit ismounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having anoperating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable toon, off and open cover positions beyond the off position for moving saidhandle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position whensaid cover is in a closed condition, said operating handle having alocking member mounted on said handle for movement from handle-releasingposition to handle-locking position, an operating plate connected tosaid operating handle and effective to move said handle of said breakerunit to a position corresponding to the position of said operatinghandle, and interlocking means enclosed by said casing and cover forlocking said cover comprising an interlocking element pivotally mountedfor movement independently of said operating plate and rotated by saidoperating plate for releasing said interlocking means to permit theopening of said cover when said operating handle is moved to the opencover position, said interlocking means being eifective to lock saidcover in all other positions of said operating handle, said interlockingelement having a slotted end portion which is adapted to be engaged bysaid handle locking member when the latter is moved to handle-lockingposition whereby in the handle-locking position of said locking membersaid interlocking element is locked against pivotal movement therebypreventing the release of said interlocking means.

4. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having an actuating handlemovable to on, ofi and reset positions, a casing in which said unit ismounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having anoperating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable toon, oil? and open cover position beyond the off position for moving saidhandle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position whensaid cover is in a closed condition, said operating handle having alocking member mounted on said handle for movement from handle-releasingposition to handlelocking position, an operating plate connected to saidoperating handle and effective to move said handle of said breaker unitto a position corresponding to the position of said operating handle,and interlocking means enclosed by said casing and cover for lockingsaid cover comprising an interlocking element pivotally mounted formovement independently of said operating plate and rotated by saidoperating plate for releasing said interlocking means to permit theopening of said cover when said operating handle is moved to the opencover position, said interlocking means being effective to lock saidcover in all other positions of said operating handle, said interlockingelement having one end portion provided with a pair of spaced slotswhich are each adapted to be engaged by said handle-locking member whenthe latter is moved to handle-locking position, one slot being adaptedto be engaged by said locking member when said operating handle is inthe on position, and the other slot being adapted to be engaged by saidlocking member when said operating handle is in the OE position, wherebysaid operating handle may be locked in either the on or off positionswith said interlocking element being locked against pivotal movementthereby preventing the release of said interlocking means.

5. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having an actuating handlemovable to on, oil and reset positions, a casing in which said unit ismounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having anoperating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable toon, ofi and open cover position beyond the off position for moving saidhandle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position whensaid cover is in a closed condition, said operating handle having alocking member mounted on said handle for movement from handle-releasingposition to handlelocking position, said locking member having a lockingprojection, said cover having an opening through which said operatinghandle is operable, a pair of spaced slots formed in said cover adjacentsaid opening and adapted to receive said locking projection when thelatter is in handle-locking position, an operating plate connected tosaid operating handle and effective to move said handle of said breakerunit to a position corresponding to the position of said operatinghandle, and interlocking means enclosed by said casing and cover forlocking said cover comprising an interlocking element pivotally mountedfor movement independently of said operating plate and rotated by saidoperating plate for releasing said interlocking means to permit theopening of said cover when said operating handle is moved to the opencover position, said interlocking means being effective to lock saidcover in all other positions of said operating handle, said interlockingelement having one end portion provided with a pair of spaced slotswhich are adapted to register with said spaced slots formed in saidcover when said operating handle is in the on position and the offposition, one pair of slots in registry being adapted to be engaged bysaid locking projection when said operating handle is in the onposition, and the other pair of slots in registry being adapted to beengaged by said locking projection when said operating handle is in theoff position, whereby said operating handle may be locked in either theon or oil positions with said interlocking element being locked againstpivotal movement thereby preventing the release of said interlockingmeans.

6. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having an acuting handlemovable to on, off and reset positions, a casing in which said unit ismounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having anoperating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable toon, off and open cover position beyond the off position for moving saidhandle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position whensaid cover is in a closed condition, said operating handle having alocking member mounted on said handle for movement from handle-releasingposition to handlelocking position, said locking member having a lockingprojection, said cover having an opening through which said operatinghandle is operable, a pair of spaced slots formed in said cover adjacentsaid opening and adapted to receive said locking projection when thelatter is in handle-locking position, an operating plate connected tosaid operating handle and effective to move said handle of said breakerunit to a position corresponding to the position of said operatinghandle, and interlocking means enclosed by said casing and cover forlocking said cover, comprising an interlocking element pivotally mountedfor movement independently of said operating plate and rotated by saidoperating plate for releasing said interlocking means to permit theopening of said cover when said operating handle is moved to the opencover position, said interlocking means being effective to lock saidcover in all other positions of said operating handle, said interlockingelement having one end portion provided with a pair of spaced slotswhich are adapted to register with said spaced slots formed in saidcover when said operating handle is in the on position and the offposition, one pair of slots in registry being adapted to be engaged bysaid locking projection when said operating handle is in the onposition, and the other pair of slots in registry being adapted to beengaged by said locking projection when said operating handle is in theoff position, said locking member being spring biased tohandle-releasing position whereby on the movement of said locking memberto handle-locking position said locking projection engages a-pair ofslots in registry to lock said operating-handle in a predeterminedposition in relation to said cover whereby said operating handle may belocked in either the on or oft positions with said interlocking elementbeing locked against pivotal movement thereby preventing the release ofsaid interlocking means.

7. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having an actuating handlemovable to on, off and reset positions, a casing, in which said unit ismounted, an

openable cover for said casing, said cover having an operating handlemounted thereon, said operating handle being movable to on, off and opencover position beyond the ofi position for moving said handle of saidcircuit breaker unit to a corresponding position when said cover is in aclosed condition, said operating handle having a locking member mountedon said handle for movement from handle-releasing position tohandle-locking position, said locking member having a lockingprojection, said cover having an openingv through which said operatinghandle is operable, a pair of spaced slots formed in said cover adjacentsaid opening and adapted to receive said locking projection when thelatter is in handle-locking position, an operating plate connected tosaid operating handle and effective to move said handle of said breakerunit to a position corresponding to the position of said operatinghandle, and interlocking means enclosed by said casing and cover forlocking said cover, comprising an interlocking element pivotally mountedfor movement independently of said operating plate and rotated by saidoperating plate for releasing said interlocking means to permit theopening of said cover when said operating handle is moved to the opencover position, said interlocking means being effective to lock saidcover in all other positions of said operating handle, said interlockingelement having one end portion provided with a pair of spaced slotswhich are adapted to register with said spaced slots formed in saidcover when said operating handle is in the on position and the offposition,

one pair of slots in registry being adapted to be engaged by saidlocking projection when said operating handle is in the on position, andthe other pair of slots in registry being adapted to be engaged by saidlocking projection when said operating handle is in the off position,said locking member being spring biased to handle-releasing positionwhereby on the movement of said locking member to handle-lockingposition said locking projection engages a pair of slots in registry tolock said operating handle in a predetermined position in relation tosaid cover whereby said operating handle may be locked in either the onor off positions with said interlocking elements being locked againstpivotal movement thereby preventing the release of said interlockingmeans, said interlocking element being fixed to a rotatable stub shaft,said shaft having a portion projecting to the outside of said coverwhereby in the handle-releasing position of said locking member saidoutside portion of said shaft may be rotated for releasing saidinterlocking means to permit the opening of said cover in all positionsof said operating hand e.

8. An enclosing casing for a circuit breaker or switch having anoperating member, said casing having a cover movable to closed and openpositions, an actuating handle carried by said cover in position at theouter side thereof and mounted for turning movement on said cover to aplurality of different positions in the open and closed positions ofsaid cover, mechanism mounted at the inner side of said cover andmovable therewith when said cover is moved to said positions and fixedto said handle for turning movement therewith, said mechanism having amember adapted to move said operating member to a position correspondingto the position of said actuating handle when said cover is in a closedcondition, a lock carried by said cover and movable thereon intoreleasable engagement with a relatively stationary part in said casingwhen the cover is closed, for releasably locking the cover in closedposition, said mechanism member having a part which is engageable withsaid lock to release the latter when the handle is moved to one of saidpositions thereof, and a releasable lock for the handle operable tosecure the same against turning movement, and interengaging means onsaid handle lock and on said cover lock to prevent release of the latterwhen the handle is locked against turning movement.

9. An enclosing casing for a circuit breaker or switch having anoperating member, said casing having a cover movable to closed and openpositions, an actuating handle carried by said cover in position at theouter side thereof and mounted for turning movement on said cover to aplurality of diflerent positions in the open and closed positions ofsaid cover, mechanism mounted at the inner side of said cover andmovable therewith when said cover is moved to said positions and fixedto said handle for turning movement therewith, said mechanism having amember adapted to move said operating member to a position correspondingto the position of said actuating handle when said cover is in a closedcondition, a lock carried by said cover and movable thereon intoreleasable engagement with a relatively stationary part in said casingwhen the cover is closed, for releasably locking the cover in closedposition, said mechanism member having a part which is engageable withsaid lock to release the latter when the handle is moved to one of saidpositions thereof, and a releasable lock for the handle operable tosecure the same against turning movement, and interengaging means onsaid handle lock and on said cover lock to prevent release of the latterwhen the handle is locked against turning movement, said lock comprisingan interlocking element pivotally mounted for movement independently ofsaid mechanism member and rotated by the latter for releasing saidinterlocking element from said stationary part in said casing when thehandle is moved to one of said positions thereof.

10. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having an actuatinghandle movable to on, cit and reset positions, a casing in which saidunit is mounted, an openable cover for said casing, said cover having anoperating handle mounted thereon, said operating handle being movable toon, off and open cover" position beyond the off position for moving saidhandle of said circuit breaker unit to a corresponding position whensaid cover is in a closed condition,

said operating handle having a locking member mounted on said handle formovement from handle-releasing position to handle-locking position, anoperating plate connected to said operating handle and eiiective to movesaid handle of said breaker unit to a position corresponding to theposition of said operating handle, and interlocking means enclosed bysaid casing and cover for locking said cover comprising an interlockingelement pivotally mounted for movement independently of said operatingplate and rotated by said operating plate for releasing saidinterlocking means to permit the opening of said cover when saidoperating handle is moved to the open cover position, said interlockingmeans being effective to lock said cover in all other positions of saidoperating handle, said interlocking element having a portion which isadapted to be engaged by said handle locking member when the latter ismoved to handlelocking position whereby in the handle-locking positionof said locking member said interlocking element is locked againstpivotal movement thereby preventing the release of said interlockingmeans.

11. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having a movableactuating handle, a casing in which said unit is mounted, an openablecover for said casing, said cover having an operating handle mountedthereon, said operating handle being movable to an on and off positionfor moving said handle of said circuit breaker unit to a correspondingposition when said cover is in a closed condition, a reciprocable memberconnected to said circuit breaker unit and effective on reciprocation tocontrol said actuating handle, said reciprocable member havingreleasable locking means comprising a slot in said member and areleasable pivotally mounted locking dog adapted to be received in saidslot for locking said member against reciprocation on the opening ofsaid cover when said actuating handle is in the off position, and coverposition responsive means operatively associated with said locking dogwhereby on the closing of said cover the latter engages said coverposition responsive means to pivotally retract said locking dog fromsaid slot to thereby release said member, and means associated with saidoperating handle and effective to move said handle of said breaker unitto a position corresponding to the position of said operating handlewhen said cover is in a closed condition.

12. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having a movableactuating handle, a casing in which said unit is mounted, an openablecover for said casing, said cover having an operating handle mountedthereon, said operating handle being movable to an on and off positionfor moving said handle of said circuit breaker unit to a correspondingposition when said cover is in a closed condition, a reciprocable memberconnected to said circuit breaker unit and effective on reciprocation tocontrol said actuating handle, said reciprocable member havingreleasable locking means comprising a slot in said member and areleasable pivotally mounted locking dog adapted to be received in saidslot for locking said member against reciprocation on the opening ofsaid cover when said actuating handle is in the off position, and coverposition responsive means operatively associated with said locking dogwhereby on the closing of said cover the latter engages said coverposition responsive means to pivotally retract said locking dog fromsaid slot to thereby release said member, and means associated with saidoperating handle and effective to move said handle of said breaker unitto a position corresponding to the position of said operating handlewhen said cover is in a closed condition, said cover position responsivemeans comprising a lever connected to said locking dog, said lever beingadapted to be engaged by said cover on the closing thereof.

13. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having a movableactuating handle, a casing in which said unit is mounted, an openablecover for said casing, said cover having an operating handle mountedthereon, said operating handle being movable to different positions formoving said handle of said circuit breaker unit to a correspondingposition when said cover is in a closed condition, a reciprocable memberconnected to said circuit breaker unit and effective on reciprocation tocontrol said actuating handle, said reciprocable member havingreleasable locking means comprising a slot in said member and areleasable pivotally mounted locking dog adapted to be received in saidslot for locking said member against reciprocation on the opening ofsaid cover when said actuating handle is in one of said positions, andcover position responsive means operatively associated with said lockingdog whereby on the closing of said cover the latter engages said coverposition responsive means to pivotally retract said locking dog fromsaid slot to thereby release said member and means associated with saidoperating handle and effective to move said handle of said breaker unitto a position corresponding to the position of said operating handlewhen said cover is in a closed condition.

14. In combination with a circuit breaker unit having a movableactuating handle, a casing in which said unit is mounted, an openablecover for said casing, said cover having an operating handle mountedthereon, said oper ating handle being movable to an on and off positionfor moving said handle of said circuit breaker unit to a correspondingposition when said cover is in a closed condition, a reciprocable memberconnected to said circuit breaker unit and eflective on reciprocation tocontrol said actuating handle, said reciprocable member havingreleasable locking means comprising a slot in said member and areleasable pivotally mounted locking dog adapted to be received in saidslot for locking said member against reciprocation on the opening ofsaid cover when said actuating handle is in the off position, and coverposition responsive means operatively associated with said locking dogwhereby on the closing of said cover the latter engages said coverposition responsive means to pivotally retract said locking dog fromsaid slot to thereby release said member, and means associated with saidoperating handle and effective to move said handle of said breaker unitto a position corresponding to the position of said operating handlewhen said cover is in a closed condition, said cover position responsivemeans comprising a lever integral with said locking dog whereby on theclosing of said cover the latter engages said lever to rotate saidlocking dog and thereby retract said locking dog from said slot torelease said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,163,230 Rowe June 20, 1939 2,260,073 Ellis Oct. 21, 19412,263,860 Currie Nov. 25, 1941 2,512,505 Rowe June 20, 1950 2,540,814Eichelberger Feb. 6, 1951 2,550,125 Schueler et al Apr. 24, 1951

